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First Bites: Buntyn Corner Cafe bustling little spot

I slipped in Buntyn Corner Cafe for lunch earlier this week and was surprised, in the best way. Everyone was so excited about Buntyn reopening that I sort of dreaded it, was convinced it would be a sad imitation.

First Bites: Buntyn Corner Cafe bustling little spot

I slipped in Buntyn Corner Cafe for lunch earlier this week and was surprised, in the best way. Everyone was so excited about Buntyn reopening that I sort of dreaded it, was convinced it would be a sad imitation.

Wrong.

OK, it's not THE Buntyn. It's a smallish place on the ground floor of the I-Bank Building at 5050 Poplar (known as White Station tower forever). You place your order and pick it up at the counter, find a spot, dine and dash and open your table for the next folks.

We opted for the daily special, which was chicken and dressing and tastes, my cousin said, just like it used to. He said the same thing about the yeast rolls, which is one of the items folks most loved and missed about Buntyn. My confession: Not a fan of yeast rolls, so I can tell you this one was what it was supposed to be--soft, yeasty and slightly sweet--but I'm not going to pretend that I remember what they were like before.

For sides we ordered turnip greens (mushy, possibly canned?) and mashed potatoes with gravy. That gravy! Sweet mercy. It was on the thin side, but exploding with rich, dark and deep beef flavor. I had to ask about it, and it turns out that the slow-cooked roast beef is available daily (it was right there on the menu, but I just looked at daily specials). The gravy came from it, and I will be back soon for a plate of it.

The club sandwich was simple, but thoroughly satisfying: Ham, turkey, bacon and cheese on toasted white bread, dressed with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

The peach cobbler was crazy good. It came in a cup and I figured the crust would be soft from sitting in the fruit, but I was wrong again.

I'll go back before long and will have a full review soon. Meanwhile, you can go for breakfast or lunch. It's open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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